In a manner eerily reminiscent of Vasil Zook 25 years earlier, P3 got its start in January 2003 as a last-minute replacement when the scheduled entertainment at a local coffeehouse couldn’t make it. Club owner Cliff Morgan called Studio 415 owner and guitarist Paul Barton, and asked if he could come up with a show. Paul started calling musicians and managed to assemble a three-piece band.

Although they hadn’t had time to rehearse much prior to taking the stage, the guys had a blast playing together that night, and their music got an enthusiastic reception from the crowd. “The first time they played, I didn’t know what to expect,” club-owner Cliff Morgan said. “They blew me, and everyone else, away. That says a lot about these guys that they can just pick up instruments and jam because they’re so good. I wanted to have them back.”

Due to other commitments, the original drummer had to drop out of the project, so Barton and bassist Paul Kollar called upon Kollar’s friend (and former bandmate) drummer Philip Wylie. The chemistry was immediately obvious, and P3 went on to play out steadily in the Triangle (North Carolina, USA) area during the mid-00s.

P3 in concert is literally a work in progress; they pretty much make it up as the go along. The musical style is a heady mix of jazz, blues and fusion, all wrapped up in a not-so-neat, but great-sounding, package. The band recorded their debut CD “Just Made It Up” during a live performance in April 2003 at The Coffee Mill, the little club in Clayton, NC where they’d gotten their start just a couple months earlier. This was followed up by a second live CD, recorded in January 2004.

P3 went on hiatus in 2005 as the members became involved in other projects.